Purchase Order Request Form
Updated: April 6, 2004
Customization Instructions
Following are easy customizations that provide instructions for changing this form.
Store Purchase Order Request Forms in a secure public folder
| • | Create a public folder |
| • | Securely limit who has permission to see the folder and edit items in this folder |
Changing the form elements
| • | To start the Form Designer or open the form in Design mode |
| • | To require that users include complete information before sending a request |
Customizing fields on the form
| • | To add pre-defined Outlook fields to the form |
| • | To make new custom fields available |
| • | To modify properties of a field on the form |
| • | To further modify properties of a field on the form |
| • | To access Microsoft Outlook Object Library Help |
Customizing controls on the form
| • | To change the name of a label |
| • | To add a textbox |
Binding a control to a field
| • | To bind a control to a field |
Publishing the form
| • | To save your changes to the form |
| • | To create a new form or publish a form to a different forms library |
Store Purchase Order Request Forms in a secure public folder
It may be useful to share the Purchase Order Request information school-wide or limit access to specific workgroups. To share this information, it can be made available by storing the forms in a public folder.
Create a public folder
To create a public folder, you must have permission to create folders in an existing public folder.
1. | On the File menu, point to New, and then click Folder. |
2. | In the Name box, type a name for the folder. In this case, name the folder Purchase Order Request. |
3. | In the Folder contains box, click the type of folder you want to create. For the Purchase Order Request Form, select Mail Items. |
4. | In the Select where to place the folder dialog box, click the + next to Public Folders, and then click All Public Folders. |
5. | Click OK. The new folder should now appear in the All Public Folders folder. |
You have created a new public folder. Because you created the folder, you have Owner permissions on this folder.
Securely limit who has permission to see the folder and edit items in this folder
1. | Right-click the Purchase Order Request folder, and then click Properties. |
2. | Click the Permissions tab. |
3. | To set permissions that apply to everyone who can use the folder, click Default in the Name list. |
4. | In the Roles dialog box, select the role you want to assign to everyone. In this case, select None so that not everyone will be able to add to or change this folder.
Note To prevent default users from seeing the folder, clear the checkbox next to Folder visible. |
5. | Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the name Anonymous. |
6. | To give permission to a specific user, click Add. |
7. | In the Type name or select from list box, type the name of the user whose permission level you want to change. Click Add, and then click OK. |
8. | In the Names box, click the name you added. |
9. | In the Roles box, click the role you want to assign to that user. In this case, select the name of the person who receives the forms, and then give the user the role of Author. This allows the user to see the folder and to create and read items in the folder. |
10. | Click OK to save the new folder permissions and close the Properties dialog box. |
You have now set specific permissions of who can see, contribute and edit items in the public folder.
Changing the form elements
To start the Form Designer or open the form in Design mode
1. | Open Microsoft Outlook. |
2. | On the Tools menu, click Forms, and then click Design a Form... |
3. | In the Design a Form dialog box, click the type of form you want to modify. |
4. | Click the Open button and the form opens in the Form Designer.
Note To modify the existing Purchase Order Request form, select the location of the form in the Look In drop-down list; for example, if you have published this form to your Organizational Forms Library you can select the Organizational Forms Library folder in the Look in... drop-down list, and then select Purchase Order Request. |
To require that users include complete information before sending a request
Adding a validation requirement ensures that critical information is not omitted.
1. | Open the form in Design mode. |
2. | Right-click the control you would like to validate and click Properties. |
3. | Click the Validation tab, and then select the A value is required for this field checkbox. |
4. | Click OK to save the validation information, and then close the Properties dialog box. |
Customizing fields on the form
Microsoft Outlook forms use fields to save information that is entered into the form by the user. This is called data binding. The Field Chooser dialog box in the Outlook Form Designer provides quick access to the common fields used in most Outlook forms. The Field Chooser dialog box also allows you to create your own custom fields.
The Purchase Order Request form contains many pre-defined Outlook fields and several custom fields. For example, the To command button is bound to the pre-defined To field. This association between the control and the field ensures that the sent form is received by the appropriate person.
When designing forms, it is recommended that you:
1. | Create all custom fields for the form. |
2. | Place the controls on the form. |
3. | Bind the controls to the appropriate field. |
To add pre-defined Outlook fields to the form
1. | Click the tab on the form in which you want to add the field. |
2. | In the Field Chooser dialog box, select the field you want to add. |
3. | Drag the field onto the form. Release the left mouse button while on the form. |
4. | Reposition and resize the field as necessary. |
To make new custom fields available
1. | In the Field Chooser dialog box, click the New... button. |
2. | In the New Field dialog box, type a name for the new field in the Name box. |
3. | Select the data type from the Type drop-down list. |
4. | Select the format from the Format drop-down list. |
5. | Click OK. |
6. | Add the field you would like as a pre-defined field (see the previous instructions on how to add pre-defined Outlook fields). |
To modify properties of a field on the form
1. | Right-click the field you want to modify. |
2. | Click Properties. |
3. | Modify the properties in the Properties dialog box. |
4. | Click OK to save your changes and close the Properties dialog box. |
To further modify properties of a field on the form
1. | Right-click the field to modify. |
2. | Click Advanced Properties. |
3. | Modify the properties in the Properties dialog box. |
4. | Click Apply and close the dialog box.
Note For more specific information on modifying field properties, refer to Microsoft Outlook Object Library Help. |
To access Microsoft Outlook Object Library Help
1. | Open a form in Design mode. |
2. | On the Form menu, select View Code. This opens the Script Editor window. |
3. | In the Script Editor window, highlight the Help menu, and then select Microsoft Outlook Object Library Help.
Note You may be prompted to install this component from your Outlook or Microsoft Office installation compact disc. |
Customizing controls on the form
Adding controls to the form allows the user to enter information in a variety of ways. Some controls do not require user input (labels and pictures) and are not associated with a field. Other controls do require user input (checkboxes and textboxes) and must be associated with a field.
To change the name of a label
1. | Right-click on the label (for example, Cost Per Item:), and then select Properties. |
2. | Under the Display tab, in the Caption textbox, type in the new name. |
3. | Click OK. The new name should appear in the label control. |
To add a textbox
1. | Click Control Toolbox (the hammer and wrench icon in the toolbar) to open the Toolbox. |
2. | Click the TextBox button, then click and drag the + icon to draw the textbox on the form. |
3. | Right-click on the textbox and select Properties. |
4. | Modify the properties in the Properties dialog box. |
5. | Click OK to save the information and close the Properties dialog box. |
Binding a control to a field
To save the information that a user types, you must bind each control to a field.
To bind a control to a field
1. | Right-click on the control and select Properties. |
2. | Under the Value tab, click on Choose Field. |
3. | Select a field. |
4. | Select the new field name you created for the checkbox and click Apply. |
5. | Click OK to close the Properties dialog box. |
Publishing the form
To save your changes to the form
Open the Purchase Order Request form, click the Tools menu, highlight Forms, and then select Publish Form.
Note Once the form has been created and you are ready to make it available for your users, you must publish it in the Organizational Forms Library. You can also publish the form with a new name to the current forms library.
To create a new form or publish a form to a different forms library
1. | Open the Purchase Order Request form, click the Tools menu, highlight Forms, and then select Publish Form As. |
2. | Click on the drop-down list next to Look In: and select the appropriate forms library. |
3. | Type a new name in the Display name textbox. |
4. | Click Publish. |
